Andy Nakatani

Yumi Hotta

Sixth-grade Hikaru Shindo's discovery of a bloodstained game board leads to an encounter with the ghost of Go master Fujiwara-no-Sai and the formation of an unbeatable Go team.

Hikaru No Go 1

Endgame. 23

Hikaru No Go

Wynter

A pretty solid graphic novel series. You have to acknowledge that making a reader excited about something so mundane and unfamiliar as an ancient Chinese board game takes skill. I liked it the first time when I read it about ten years ago, and I really enjoyed it this time around. It does end on a kind of open-ended note, but I seriously doubt there was a need to outline Hikaru's entire career until his eventual triumph. It says so in the last few volumes, the road to success in go never ends. Hikaru still has a lot of room to grow, his rivalry with Akira will never cease to exist, and he cannot possibly win every single game, so what is there to expect? In a way, I'm glad this manga did not leave us with a feeling that Hikaru and the gang are unstoppable.

The problem is that the finale did not feel punchy enough. It was more like an end to another volume/story arc, than a grande exit. Perhaps there could be a short fast-forward to Hikaru as an older man - a distinguished go player in the vein of Akira's father, revealing the entire series to be his reflection of the past. Perhaps this would be a perfect stage for brief return of Sai, who could visit Hikaru once again and bring a much-needed closure. Because I think there was more to be done for the well-rounded ending, I take away one star.

Hikaru no Go

Gavin

Ludicrous, thoughtful, addictive. I wasn’t expecting there to be chess problems beyond the foruth wall. I wasn’t expecting it to be crusading for the nobility of games and the necessity of pain in education.

Ken Yuen

One of my favorite series. Loved the anime, loved the manga. The matches are exciting, and it's fun to watch the rivalry between Hikaru and Akira is the best.

Update:
Still just as good on a reread. Love Akira and Hikaru's first battles. And that moment when Hikaru places the stone down stylishly. This series makes placing stones in Go so cool.

Edit:
Is this book censored? In book 2, it's clearly a cigarette that he's putting out on the board. But in this volume, it's a piece of gum. Was this redrawn???

Akira is beginning a new school year at Kaio Middle School. With his daunting reputation as the Toya Meijin's son, Akira finds he must prove himself to more than a few mean and jealous classmates. And with the help of upperclassman Yuri Hidaka, Akira finds the confidence to persevere in his hunt to beat Hikaru. Meanwhile, Hikaru is having a hard enough time just trying to find a third teammate to play in the Haze Middle School Go Club. A possible teammate arrives in the form of Yuki Mitani--but will he join their club or continue to swindle old timers for their pocket change?

Akira stalking Hikaru! Also Akira's blind match!

After stumbling across a haunted go board, Hikaru Shindo discovers that the spirit of a master player named Fujiwara-no-Sai has taken up residence in his consciousness. Sai awakens in Hikaru an untapped genius for the game, and soon the schoolboy is chasing his own dream--defeating the famed go prodigy Akira Toya! Another tournament is underway. Three members of the cutthroat Kaio Go Club face three members of the budding Haze Go Club. As tensions rise, the antagonism between both teams culminates in a telling match between Akira and Hikaru. Who will win? Which team will win? Even if the answer surprises you, the ensuing drama won't. After the excitement of the tournament, there's nothing left for Hikaru and Kimihiro to do...except to learn more about Go! In the process, Hikaru finds a way to let Sai play all the Go his fluttering heart desires without everybody and their mother pointing and staring at Hikaru. Find out what Hikaru discovers in this volume of Hikaru no Go!

Hikaru no Go, Vol. 4

The Internet arc is so good! Can I give this rating a 10 out of 5?

After stumbling across a haunted go board, Hikaru Shindo discovers that the spirit of a master player named Fujiwara-no-Sai has taken up residence in his consciousness. Sai awakens in Hikaru an untapped genius for the game, and soon the schoolboy is chasing his own dream--defeating the famed go prodigy Akira Toya! Hikaru faces the preliminary rounds of the pro test, during which he must eliminate not only his classmates at the insei school but also any outsiders who want to take the test. One of them in particular appears to know how to exploit Hikaru's weaknesses, and poor Hikaru seems powerless to stop him.

Hikaru no Go, Vol. 8

The pro arc continues. Ogata's duel with Kuwabara and Tsubaki are neat

After stumbling across a haunted go board, Hikaru Shindo discovers that the spirit of a master player named Fujiwara-no-Sai has taken up residence in his consciousness. Sai awakens in Hikaru an untapped genius for the game, and soon the schoolboy is chasing his own dream--defeating the famed go prodigy Akira Toya! The main round of the pro test has begun. Everyone's feeling the pressure, no one more so than Hikaru's friend Isumi, who has failed the test twice before. Fighting off his feelings of self-doubt, Isumi faces his next opponent, who turns out to be Hikaru. But a careless mistake lands the pair in an awkward position!

Lifeline

Hikaru no Go, Vol. 10

Getting pretty interested in the pro exam story arc again. Some of the best parts are still related to Sai's presence in Hikaru's life, even though there's a lot less Sai the more stronger Hikaru gets, unfortunately.

A normal sixth grader who finds himself dealing with a centuries-old ghost and a board game that's even older. Hikaru and Sai are both scheduled for matches with their greatest rivals--Akira Toya and his father, Toya Meijin. How will Sai play without revealing his secret identity? And will Akira's father stand in the way of Hikaru's long anticipated rematch with his son...? The suspense is getting unbearable! After stumbling across a haunted Go board, irresponsible Hikaru Shindo discovers that the spirit of a master player has taken up residence in his consciousness. In his pursuit of the "Divine Move," Fujiwara-no-Sai awakens in Hikaru an untapped genius for the game, and soon the schoolboy is chasing his own dream--defeating the famed Go prodigy Akira Toya!

An ancient ghost possesses Hikaru and unleashes his hidden genius! R to L (Japanese Style). An ancient ghost possesses Hikaru and unleashes his hidden genius! One Step Forward! Hikaru is determined to move carefully, step by step, up the ladder of professional go. He pours his energy into it, striving to get closer to his ultimate goal--playing the Divine Move. After many games he finally gets to play a 7-dan, who turns out to be someone he's confronted before, though not across a board. Their mutual animosity fires their competitiveness, pushing them to play with maximum intensity!

Hikaru's pro life has started in earnest! That said, some of these chapters are a little meandering. It's good that they followed up with Kadowaki's story though.

An ancient ghost possesses Hikaru and unleashes his hidden genius! Reads R to L (Japanese Style), for A audiences. China vs. Japan The Hokuto Cup games are about to begin, and Hikaru gets caught up in some misunderstandings that make it difficult for him to concentrate on go. In the first match between Japan and China he starts out poorly and seems well on the way to a resounding defeat. Only by getting a tight grip on himself can he possibly make a showing, but that's far easier said than done!

It's genuinely fun to see Hikaru grow, but the specter of Sai still lingers. Still sad to see that storyline pruned, since Sai is as much a main character as Hikaru. The story feels a little bit lesser without our favorite ghost. Kind of wish we could have seen both characters continue to progress as the story continued.

Disappointing. It felt like they ran out of ideas and overextended the story beyond its natural ending point. At the same time, it feels like a very dissatisfying ending on many levels. We don't see how Akari or Touya's father or any of the other side characters are doing. And the big final battle ends on a downer note that even the bonus chapters do little to take the bitterness from it.

Lorien O'Brien

WOW! Who would've thought a board game similar to chess would have such an amazing and interesting manga! We start with two kids, one a serious go player, and another a regular kid who'd never heard of it...until the ghost of the greatest player of all time is stuck in his head, following him around. Hilarity, seriousness, tragedy, and drama out the wazoo makes this a great series. I'm sad to see that it's over, but boy what a ride!

Hikaru starts as a goofball, and while he has his moments we watch him blossom into a pro, holding his own against the greats, with nothing more than a great future ahead of him. He's accepted the loss of Sai and is determined to live up to his memory. His matches are great, and I love the bonus stories of how he's grown, with a look at what his growth has inspired in others. His rivalry with Akira has changed from childish squabbling to matches that shock and inspire everyone watching.

It's a great series and I recommend it to everyone! You don't have to know much about Go either, since I still can't follow it like at all.

An ancient ghost possesses Hikaru and unleashes his hidden genius! Reads R to L (Japanese Style). An ancient ghost possesses Hikaru and unleashes his hidden genius! The Young LionsGo players under the age of 18 in Japan, Korea and China are getting ready to qualify for the Hokuto Cup, and Hikaru and Akira are both in contention for the Japanese team. The preliminaries prove to be tough going, and Hikaru, stung by a reality check, focuses like never before. But will it be enough to meet the challenge of the unconventional yet formidable go of Kiyoharu Yashiro of the Kansai Go Association?

An ancient ghost possesses Hikaru and unleashes his hidden genius! Reads R to L (Japanese Style), for A audiences. Great ExpectationsThe Hokuto Cup, a new tournament for young players from Japan, China and Korea, is looming, and Hikaru's rival Akira has already secured one of the coveted three places on Japan's team. While Hikaru battles his way to one of the two remaining spots, Akira's father baffles the go world with his unexpected retirement!

Hikaru No Go 1

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